A New Guardian
by Gerudo-Warrior
Summary: When Knuckles is attacked on Angel Island, whatll hapen to the Master Emerald? Why is Knuckles acting so weird? Why am I even writing this?
1. Prologue / A New Challenger Comes

A/N: I'm trying my luck at a Sonic story. I already know about how bad this is going to turn out, so go ahead and flame me! I like flames! They're funny!  
  
This story will have hints of Shadow/Amy and Knuckles/Rouge, but this is not a huge part of the story, therefore it is not in the Romance genre. There are already plenty of good romances with these characters: Go read them. Now.  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Shadow the Hedgehog, Dr. Robotnik/Dr. Eggman, Rouge the Bat, Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles are all Â© Sonic Team. Hear that? I don't own them! I wish I did, though...  
  
Shadow is, as you may or may not know, dead. Live with it. In none of my stories will I bring him back to life. Don't like it? You'll live.  
  
This story takes place a few months after the events in Sonic Adventure 2 (Battle) and Sonic Advance.  
  
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bA New Guardian/b  
  
uPrologue/u  
  
After the "Ark Incident", as it had been dubbed, many things happen. After a long and exhausting, both physically and emotionally, search, Shadow the Hedgehog was pronounced dead. Besides some news reports, there was no acknowledgement about how he gave his life to save mankind. No memorial, no ceremony, not so much as a gravestone. The only evidence he ever existed was the Flame Ring, which Rouge kept on a dresser in her room to remind her of her greatest adventure.  
  
About a month after the Ark incident, Dr. Robotnik was reported to be searching for the seven Chaos Emeralds. Luckily, six of the seven were located quickly. Sonic, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles, Rouge and Amy Rose had all been given one for safekeeping. The sixth was sent to the safe house on Prison Island, well known for no one to ever have broken in. The seventh was missing, but no one worried: After all, what could Eggman do with only one emerald?  
  
uChapter One: A New Challenger Comes Forth/u  
  
Angel Island was currently floating through an area encased in dark night and under a sky  
  
bathed with stars. The top of the floating island was smooth, and decorated with a circle of twelve pillars. Situated in the direct center of it, on an ancient oriental rug, sat the Master Emerald. Its green light shone a sickening, yet at the same time mystical, light throughout the twelve pillars, although it did not touch the small amount of land outside them. The island was hypnotically beautiful, albeit rare to see.  
  
Perched like a silent hawk on top of one of the pillars was the Guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles the Echidna. A powerful treasure hunter and a skilled martial artist, Knuckles was known as little more than an occasional help to Sonic the Hedgehog, and he preferred it that way. Thieves never knew of a guardian when they came to steal the mighty emerald, and no thief would dare tell a tale of his defeat. His being was often a surprise to thieves on Angel Island, which is why the emerald was still here.  
  
Currently though, the guardian was meditating. Since the stories of the Ark had been told, it was blatantly obvious someone was guarding the emerald. Although a few idiots had come to try and overthrow the guardian, after their shameful fall (Quite literally, considering the altitude of Angel Island) most thieves knew enough to stay away. As such, Knuckles had one thing he has never had: A vacation.  
  
The red guardian had his violet eyes closed, and his legs in a crossed position. His large white and spiked gloves rested on his knees lightly. His muzzle was light brown, and a white circle marked his chest. On a golden chain around his neck was the purple Chaos Emerald, which he was concentrating on now. The emerald seemed to have an infinite power well, similar to that of the Master Emerald. The energy was different somehow; tainted. Perhaps it was-  
  
Knuckles' eyes snapped open. He heard someone land on the northern side of the island. Slowly and silently, he got up into a kneeling position and looked out across the island. Useless; the dead knight was dousing anything beyond the twelve pillars in complete shadows. Knuckles bared his teeth in annoyance, and jumped down to the ground, giving off a silent thud. "Who's there?" He shouted, his eyes scanning the shadows uselessly.  
  
The only answers were dead footsteps circling the perimeter of the pillars. They sounded very close, but no one was to be seen. Annoyed, and slightly unnerved, Knuckles began pacing circles around the emerald.  
  
Becoming nervous, Knuckles raised his nose into the air and sniffed. There was an odd aroma in the air. It smelled like rusted metal and grease, and burning oil. Then, a new sound reached his ears. It sounded like metallic, running footsteps...  
  
Quickly, Knuckles turned and delivered an uppercut into seemingly empty air. A sound of a hammer hitting metal rang, and the air shimmered, and then revealed an opponent. His head was spinning a full 360 degrees from the powerful uppercut. He reached up with robotic, jerky actions and grabbed his muzzle, stopping his head and facing it straight. He glared at the warrior Echidna with red, vengeful eyes.  
  
The opponent somewhat resembled Metal Sonic. He was a robot, but slightly more advanced. His height was level that of Knuckles, and shared the body build, right down to two out jutting pieces of metal to resemble the spikes on Knuckles' fists. His red optic eyes glowed with an eerie red light as he grinned an evil grin similar to the one Shadow was well known for. Instantly, Knuckles recognized him as the robot Eggman had built to aide him in stopping Sonic and the others from gaining the Chaos Emeralds. The one who had been dubbed 'Metal Knuckles'.  
  
"It's you!" Knuckles said angrily, flexing his fists. In response, the robot hovered a few inches off the ground, jetpack on his back activating. He flew forward with incredible speed, slamming into Knuckles' and carrying him full-force into a pillar. Debris from the top of the pillar fell warning, but Metal Knuckles slammed Knuckles back into the pillar, cracking his skull. With one hand he held Knuckles' wrists above him forcefully, and with the other pushed the dazes echidna's body up against the pillars.  
  
Knuckles' chuckled to himself as his daze wore off, even though the headache remained. "Sneaking onto an island with a hologram and surprising your victim?" He asked, looking the robotic fake in the eyes. "How very cowardly of you?" His ears perked as he heard a sound in the distance. Eggman's robots. Backup. "And you couldn't even take me on your own? Pathetic!" He said, enunciating the last word.  
  
Angrily, Metal Knuckles grabbed the purple Chaos Emerald with his left hand, keeping a firm grip on Knuckles' wrists with his other hand, and pulled hard, snapping the gold chain easily. He then used the same hand to backhand Knuckles, the two out jutting pieces of metal gashing his cheek. Knuckles' eyesight wavered, and he fell into uncouncisness as the hum of the robots became deafening. 


	2. A Fallen Ally

A/N: Thanks to people who reviewed! I know the last chapter was messy, but that's because I had to explain all about the Chaos Emeralds and stuff. Hopefully, it'll get better from here.  
  
Jigglypuff, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Nintendo Gamecube are © Nintendo  
  
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Chapter Two: A Fallen Ally  
  
GAME!  
  
AND THE WINNER IS… JIGGLYPUFF!  
  
Angrily, Sonic threw his Gamecube controller to the ground. "You'd think a world hero could beat the evil marshmallow!" He muttered, hitting the off- switch with his sneaker toe.  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog, world-renowned hero, sat in his living room with his precious Gamecube. He was roughly equal in height to Knuckles, with cobalt blue fur and emerald eyes. His muzzle, arms and stomach were light brown, and his only clothing was a pair of white gloves and red shoes with yellow and white markings. His quills were long, and came down to his waist.  
  
In the next room, Miles "Tails" Prower was currently researching his yellow Chaos Emerald, as he had been doing for the last month or so. On his way to the kitchen, Sonic checked in on the computer room. The silver bracelet that had the emerald in it lay on the desk, a desk lamp shining on it. Tails typed furiously on the keyboard, occasionally stretching back in the wheelie chair (A/N: You know, the computer chairs with wheels. I'm in one right now! Whee!).  
  
Tails was a normal, rather smart young fox. Well, he would be normal, if he didn't have two Tails (hence his nickname). His fur was brown with an orange tint, and he had white fur on his muzzle, stomach and the tips of his tails. Similarly to Sonic, he also wore two white gloves and red shoes. He had cerulean blue eyes, and his tails were almost always flicking back and forth in constant movement.  
  
"When you're done with that," Sonic said loudly, scaring Tails, "let me look up some codes for my game!" Tails merely gave him the look, and went back to research. Sighing, Sonic walked into the kitchen.  
  
Instantly, he walked over to his favorite part of the house, the fridge. He leaned inside, hungry and glad for a break from the sweltering summer weather. After deliberating for several long drawn minutes (or perhaps just enjoying the cool air), he finally grabbed a soda and leaned in on the doorframe to the computer room.  
  
After a few minutes of typing, Tails' finally stopped for some sanity- restoring silence from the keyboard typing. "Well…" He said. "Anything we need to do today?" He asked, clipping on the Chaos Emerald bracelet just under the cuff of one of his white gloves. He leaped down from the chair – a pretty good distance, given his short height – and waited for an answer, his two tails flicking back and forth constantly.  
  
"Nothing today!" Said Sonic happily. "For once, we can just-" At this time, the phone rang loudly, interrupting them. "I guess not." Sonic said, rolling his eyes and walking over to the phone. He read the caller ID, Rouge, and made a face at Tails. "Probably just wants to tell us how much money she earned treasure hunting this week." Tails smiled knowingly, and Sonic picked up the receiver and placed it to his ear. "Hello, penthouse!"  
  
"Sonic, we have a problem!" Rouge said immediately. True to his heroic persona, Sonic instantly stopped slouching and went into attention. "Look, I need you to come over here!"  
  
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He asked, looking at Tails guessingly. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's just… Hold on…" The sound of someone moaning in pain came through the receiver, making a shiver run down Sonic's spine. "Look, it's Knuckles! I don't have time to explain, just COME OVER!" She yelled the last two words and hung up. Sonic hung up as well, and placed a hand over his now-ringing ear.  
  
Tails was instantly at Sonics side, jumping lightly up and down. "What'd she want?" He asked, which Sonic knew to be "Will this be an adventure."  
  
Instead of answering, Sonic took a long sip of his soda, crushed the can and threw it into the garbage can. "Knuckles is hurt." He said, looking back at Tails. Tails eyes took on a sympathetic expression, but Sonic continued. "She needs us to come over, and fast. She practically made me deaf in one ear, too!" He complained. "You go on ahead, I'll catch up!"  
  
Tails broke into a wide grin, and dashed out the door. Impatiently, Sonic waited five minutes. This was a little racing game they often played: See who could get to the damsel-in-distress first. After giving Tails about five minutes, Sonic, world-renowned hero (At least in real life), dashed out the door.  
  
A/N: Yes, I know this is short! Don't worry, I promise the next chapter will be longer and at least be more interesting! Also, PLEASE REVIEW! You don't know how happy it makes me! 


	3. Mission Plans

A/N: Yes, yes, another chapter! Didn't think I'd go away that easy, didja? Well, this will probably still get boring in this chapter, but the next one has a fight. Hopefully, that's something to look forward to. …Yeah. On with the fic!  
  
If anything is between /these/ it's a thought.  
  
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Chapter Three: Mission Plans  
  
"Excuse me, pardon me, coming through!" Tails yelled, plowing his way down a busy sidewalk. People leapt out of the way to avoid him, although speeding people weren't an uncommon appearance in town. Between Sonic, Tails and Amy Rose, most people had learned this wasn't the street to dawdle on.  
  
The travel to Rouge's was long: After finally making his way through Station Square, there was about a mile of the richest houses in town. Didn't help that the chauffeurs didn't seem to ever see people running in the road, so that slowed them down considerably.  
  
Tails began twirling his two tails behind him in a propeller-like fashion. After gaining enough speed, his feet lifted off the ground, getting rid of the friction and rocketing him forward. He steered into the backyards of the mansions, and rocketed through perfectly mown lawns and perfectly clean sandboxes.  
  
After about five blocks worth of backyards, and scaring two children playing in the sandbox, he dug his heels into the sidewalk to slow down. He eventually came to a stop just on the walk up to Rouge's house. Two gardeners were busily fertilizing a row of rosebushes around the house, and a butler pushed a push mower around the yard.  
  
Rouge owned one of the more modest houses in the neighborhood. Her house had two floors, not three. Only five hired hands worked for her – two gardeners, two butlers and a maid – and they didn't live with her. If she did keep a car in the garage, it was just for show. She still preferred to fly than drive. Apparently, her money hadn't changed her a bit.  
  
Triumphantly, Tails walked up the walk to the house. Finally, he did it! He outran Sonic! He hadn't seen the blue blur that was Sonic at his highest speed! He grabbed the ugly brass doorknocker and slammed it triumphantly.  
  
The door slowly creaked open, and the aforementioned blue blur stuck his head out. "Hey, Tails! I was wondering when you'd show up!" He said, holding the door open. /I thought I beat him!/ Tails thought angrily, walking in.  
  
The two walked slowly through the immense front hall. The plush white carpet felt strange under their feet, and tables with expensive statuettes that Rouge's new "friendly neighbors" convinced her to buy lined the wall. "I wonder why Rouge never invites me over?" Sonic muttered, eying some of the statues.  
  
Tails looked behind them. Crumbs from a chilidog Sonic was eating stained the carpet in their wake. A brunette maid was glaring evilly at them as they made their way up a large staircase. "I wonder why…" Tails repeated dryly, running up the last few stairs to keep pace with Sonic.  
  
"Knuckles is hurt pretty bad." Sonic muttered, keeping his eyes low. Tails looked like he was gonna say Rouge mentioned that on the phone, but didn't. "Whatever it was up their got him bloodied up. Meaning…" Sonic said, looking expectantly at Tails.  
  
Tails brightened, and dashed up to the top of the stairs. "Another adventure!" He said brightly. Sonic chuckled, and then stopped. They had reached Knuckles' room. Rouge was waiting just outside the door, tapping her toe impatiently. Her only make-up was cerulean eye shadow and heavy mascara.  
  
Most rich ladies dressed in long, silk gowns, adorned with jewelry. Rouge hated that style: Far too difficult for treasure hunting. She wore black slacks and a form-fitting black and pink top. She has white gloves, which came up to her elbows, and pink-tipped white boots which came to her knees. Deep purple wings lay against her back, and her large, radar ears stuck up, listening constantly.  
  
"Finally! Took you long enough!" She said chidingly to Tails. Tails flicked his tails, irritated. /I ALMOST beat him!/ He thought angrily. It was starting to get irritating: Every time, he tried his hardest, but Sonic barely put in effort and he won easily!  
  
As the two walked into the room, Rouge grabbed Sonic by the elbow. "There's something I need to show you." She said, looking down the hallway. "Tails, stay here with Knuckles." He wanted to object, but Rouge and Sonic were already walking down the hallway. Why was he always the one to stay behind? Slightly depressed, he walked into the room.  
  
And stopped.  
  
Knuckles looked like he had just been through a war, not a battle. The most noticeable of the wounds were two long gashes on his right cheek. A wet cloth was on his forehead, and his left eye was swollen, foretelling a black eye. He had various scrapes and bruises all over his body, and white gauze was wrapped around his left arm. He looked out the window, probably unaware of his visitor. Even his eyes seemed different: They were dull and almost gray, not the usual vibrant purple.  
  
"What happened to you?!" Tails said loudly, forgetting all manners. Knuckles looked at him, surprised, and looked at him questiongly? Finally, a smile crossed his face, and he shook his head sadly. "I can't believe it Tails," he said mournfully, laying his head on his knees. "I lost. To Metal Knuckles."  
  
Tails turned his head in question. They had all heard of the infamous Metal Knuckles, but that didn't matter to him right now. Knuckles had just called him Tails. That shouldn't have seemed like a big deal, if not for the fact that, ever since they had known each other, Knuckles had insisted on calling him Miles. "What happened?" He said distractingly, rubbing his chin with his hand.  
  
Sighing, Knuckles lay his head back on the pillow. "I was just guarding the emerald on Angel Island, like always. Then Metal Knuckles came, and we fought. I…" At this, he faltered, as though not liking what he was about to say. "I lost. He took my Chaos Emerald, and knocked me off Angel Island." He lightly touched the two gashes on his cheek. "I got this during the fight. It makes it hard even to talk."  
  
Tails nodded sympathetically. "Then don't, if it hurts." He hated to see Knuckles in any more pain than he already probably was. "I'll go get you some water." Knuckles smiled thankfully, and closed his eyes. As he walked out, Tails started thinking.  
  
How strong was Metal Knuckles if he could defeat Knuckles like that? Where was the Master Emerald? Was Eggman behind this? (At least he knew the answer to that) And, most importantly…  
  
Why wasn't Knuckles calling him Miles?  
  
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Rouge led Sonic into what seemed to be a small movie theatre, minus the chairs, the popcorn, the usher, the projector, the sticky aisles… actually, it was just a room with a screen. "What's this for?" Sonic asked, curiously.  
  
"Eggman's been trying to contact me." She said, somewhat depressed. "I figured he'd want to talk to you as well, so I've had him on hold until you got here." She walked over to a wall, and pressed a button. The word CONNECTING… appeared on screen.  
  
"Gee, thanks." Sonic muttered sarcastically, but was cut off when Eggman appeared onscreen.  
  
Dr. Robotnik, or Eggman as he was more commonly known, was huge both in ego and in size. He lived up to his nickname, as his body was indeed shaped like an egg, and made all the more hilarious by wiry arms and legs. He had a red nose, as though he'd been drinking too much, and a bristly orange mustache. His red jacket and black pants gave him the appearance of an evil doctor, albeit a fat one.  
  
Eggman sneered. "Ah yes, if it isn't Rouge, my old accomplice." Rouge bared her teeth angrily, her fangs gleaming, but made no comment. "Oh, and Sonic the Hedgehog! I am so honored to be in your great presence!" He said mockingly, hoping to get a rise out of him.  
  
"Just get to your point." Sonic said angrily, crossing his arms. He just wanted to know what was going on, and fast, what with the condition Knuckles was in.  
  
The doctor looked slightly disappointed. "Very well, very well." At this point, he sidestepped. On a table behind him, lit by an overhead light and adorned with a white tablecloth, sat three emeralds. The largest one, in the center, was most obviously the Master Emerald. To its right was the purple Chaos Emerald, complete with Knuckles' gold chain. To the left was the white Chaos Emerald; the one presumed Eggman had all along.  
  
"It's a trap!" Rouge said quickly, turning to look at Sonic. Or, at least, where he was. The door slammed shut in Sonic's wake. Sighing, Rouge cut the connection with Eggman and followed him down the hall. She stopped just outside Knuckles' door. "Me and Sonic have to go 'visit' Eggman." She said meaningly. "We're gonna leave Tails with you, kay?"  
  
She waited a few seconds for a response, and then realized he was asleep. Smiling, she closed the door lightly and leapt down the stairs, not bothering to run down them. As she ran past the kitchen, she stopped and look at Tails, who was busy getting ice for Knuckles' water. "Hey Tails, I haven't changed the bandage on Knuckles' arm in awhile. Can you get that for me?" Before he had a chance to reply, she ran out to attempt to catch up to Sonic.  
  
Tails gave an odd look after her. When he was up there, the bandage was clean. No blood. What was going on?  
  
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Robotnik growled angrily at the blank screen before him. That damn arrogant hedgehog! "No matter." He said aloud, turning. He walked behind the table, to a cell in the back of the room. "You know, this would all go a lot easier if you would tell me who has the other Chaos Emeralds." He said threateningly.  
  
The crimson prisoner was in a kneeling position, sitting up on his knees. His hands were bound behind his back, causing more pain than he already had. He raised his head, and glared at Eggman with deep violet eyes. He bared his teeth, and tried to hide the pain in doing so as the two gashes on his cheek stung. "Don't think I'd ever help you, Eggman!" He yelled angrily, his voice hoarse from not having any water since the night of the attack.  
  
Eggman merely chuckled and walked away to his sleeping quarters, to retire for the night.  
  
A/N: Whoo! This was longer than all my other chapters! Ok, in the next chapter there will be more action. Sorry if Tails seems out of character, I'm trying to pull him away from always wanting to be just like Sonic, and have him be his own character. Please review! 


	4. Revelations

A/N: Judging by the reviews, there are people who actually like this odd stuff coming from my head! Amazing! I wanna thank everyone who reviewed. Those reviews are what I live for! They make me so happy….  
  
Ok, one thing: I know Amy's hammer is called the Piko Piko Hammer. But, to save my poor fingers, I'm going to call it the Piko Hammer. Only one Piko. I think you'll get the point.  
  
Oh, I just have to share the news: Dash, one of my Chao, FINALLY evolved into a Running Hero! I'm so happy for her! …OK, on with the fic!  
  
Shmee is © Jhonen Vasquez (The best author EVER!)  
  
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Chapter Four: Revelations  
  
The ARK reappeared, just out of reach of Earth's gravity. The colony shook as it 'landed' (For lack of better term) after the Chaos Control, sending Knuckles, Rouge, Tails, Robotnik and Amy to the ground. All but Amy pulled themselves up, and watched out the large front window. Amy didn't need to stand up: She was watching what was happening from one of the TV screens.  
  
As Sonic grabbed hold of the side of the ARK, the force of the Chaos Control sent Shadow hurling back at Earth. Sonic quickly dashed out and reached for him, but all he caught was the Flame Ring on Shadow's wrist. After a few drama filled seconds, Shadow reached up and pushed Sonic back, pulling the Flame Ring with him. Knowing this was Shadow's way of saving him, Sonic made his way to the ARK, not looking back.  
  
Everyone on the ARK watched as Shadow fell closer, closer, the silver sheen of his Super form slowly fading. Finally, the moment they were all anticipating with dread: A flash went off as flames engulfed Shadow's body, and no more could be seen.  
  
"Damn it!" Knuckles roared angrily, slamming his fist into the computer console and making a pretty good-sized dent in it. Rouge slipped a few inches down the chair she was sitting on, her mouth and eyes open in shock. Tails looked down sadly, his two tails going limp. Apparently, Robotnik was unaffected, for he just grimaced slightly than returned to normal.  
  
Amy felt frozen. Just twenty minutes earlier, she had talked with him. Somehow convinced him he was meant to help Sonic. In those few minutes they talked, she had seen him shed a tear for his fallen friend. She had seen more of him than anyone else, save Maria, could've ever seen. And now he was just gone?  
  
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Amy shook her head, clearing the flashback from her head. That was months ago! She couldn't understand feeling sorry for him: She always did when she heard of people dying. But now, months later, she still felt sorry for him.  
  
Confused, Amy slowly made her way through Station Square. She was a relatively short hedgehog, nearly a head shorter than Sonic. Her quills were different as well: Pink, and they framed her face instead of running down her back. Her choice of clothing was a bright red dress that came halfway to her knees, white gloves, and red and white boots. Over her shoulder she carried her Piko Hammer, her only means of defense.  
  
Rouge had asked her to come over earlier that week to help the gardeners. Now, nearly a week later, she was able to. Between shopping, her job at the mall and taking care of her own garden, she was finding less and less free time.  
  
Deciding she was eager to get there, she took a harder grip on her Piko Hammer and took off at full speed. While not near as fast as the others, she was getting better everyday. It wouldn't be long until she had a fair chance to catch Sonic!  
  
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Everything in Rouge's bedroom lay in ruins. Clothes were torn and ripped, and the bed mattress was no more than strips of cloth and foamy stuff. A safe, which had contained Rouge's favorite jewelry, lay open on the floor, it's door off the hinges. Various jewels were scattered along the floor. In the corner lay the corpse of the maid that was unlucky enough to have been cleaning in their at the time. A clean slit was across her throat, and barely and blood had seeped. She went relatively painlessly. What a pity.  
  
"Doctor, I've found it." Metal Knuckles said, speaking into the two-way radio near his mouth. In his hand he tossed the blue Chaos Emerald up and down, admiring its beauty. "I'm heading back to the base right-" Quickly, he cut the connection and turned, switching on the Knuckles hologram.  
  
Tails stood in the doorway. He eyed the robot scornfully. "Quick recovery." He said, his eyes watching the Chaos Emerald. /If that's Knuckles, then I'm as dense as Sonic!/  
  
The hologram of Knuckles smirked. "Tails, those bandages were getting too hot on a day like this!" He said, pretending to laugh. Instead, it came out as more of an evil chuckle. "You don't understand what it's like to be-"  
  
"Bandaged up? No." Tails interrupted, finishing the sentence for him. "But I do know enough about robots to know that you're not who you say you are." Knuckles remained stoical, but Tails knew he had caught him off guard. "First of all, the bandage on your arm. If it had been on as long as Rouge replied, it would have been blood-covered."  
  
Knuckles eyes widened, and he looked to reply, but Tails continued. "Two, you said you fought Metal Knuckles. But you had bruises and minor scrapes, and with the spikes on Metal Knuckles' fists, he couldn't have bruised you without breaking the skin. THIRD, and your biggest, were no apparent broken bones. No one, guardian or not, could survive that fall without breaking anything."  
  
Angrily, Metal Knuckles stepped forward, dropping his hologram. "Would you care to point out any other mistakes?" He asked skeptically, taking another threatening step forward and bringing up his fists into a fighting stance.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes." Tails said, balling up his fists and leering at the robot. "You keep calling me Tails. Knuckles would call me Miles no matter what, even after a huge fall like that." His tails whipped left and right agitatedly.  
  
Instead of thinking of a remark, Metal Knuckles clutched the emerald tightly and rushed forward. He expected Tails to dodge or fly up, but he stood his ground. /Idiotic little pup!/ the robot thought, (A/N: Can robots think? Well, this one can!) putting on an extra burst of speed.  
  
Suddenly, Tails leapt forward, spinning his two tails like helicopter blades for altitude. He slammed himself into Metal Knuckles, with his tails lashed out and ensnared Metal Knuckles, the fur blocking the air intake vents. For seconds, nothing happened. Then, the robot began thrashing about. He reached forward and grabbed Tails by the… tails… and threw him over his shoulder with all his might.  
  
The attack would have easily cracked his skull, but Tails curled into a ball as he was thrown. Even though nothing was broken, Tails sunk to the floor, unconscious. Quickly, Metal Knuckles marched over the rubble in the room, grabbed Tails' left wrist, and pulled down the cuff of the glove, revealing the silver bracelet with the yellow Chaos Emerald. Quickly, he reached down and gripped the emerald, easily breaking the chain.  
  
He was about to deliver the final blow when voices sounded through the house. Three, to be exact. Two were identified as Sonic and Rouge, but the third he hadn't heard before. Quickly, he activated his jetpack and burst through the ceiling, creating a good-sized hole. He left the fox boy unconscious, but silently swore to himself he'd gain revenge.  
  
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Later that night…  
  
Tired, Robotnik carefully laid himself into bed. It had been a long day: Interrogating the prisoner, contacting Metal Knuckles and supervising latrine duty. He set his alarm clock, and pulled the covers up to his chin. He grabbed his teddy bear, and rolled over. "Goodnight, Shmee." He muttered, falling into instant sleep.  
  
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Robotnik stood in a vast, empty space. The floor, the walls, and the ceiling were darker than a moonless night. He shakily stood up, and realized he was back in his working clothes. "What's going on?" He yelled into the shadows.  
  
As he yelled, red eyes appeared about twenty feet before him, burning like wrought embers. Eventually, the eyes gained a head and body, one recognizable to anyone who had seen him before.  
  
The creature vaguely resembled Sonic, but after knowing him you'd have to be an idiot to assume them the same. He had ebony black fur, with red streaks down his quill, arms and legs, as well as red markings around his eyes. He wore white gloves, with a golden bracelet above each any treasure hunter would kill for. His shoes were different as well: White, with black and red markings. He hung a few feet in the air, his crimson eyes burning into Robotnik. He had a path of white fur on his chest, as well as a tan muzzle.  
  
"SHADOW?!" The doctor yelled, stumbling backwards in fear. "But… but your…"  
  
Shadow smiled. "Dead." He finished for Robotnik, nodding for emphasis. He took a step forward, his feet not touching the ground. "Then why are you trying to bring me back? I died when my life was fulfilled. I am to rest, not necessarily in peace."  
  
After taking a few seconds to realize what he said. (After all, it's not everyday someone you watched die comes back to talk to you) "Let me guess," Robotnik said, faking a sweet voice. "You want me to stop my project so you can be a happy little ghost? Well, FORGET IT!" He yelled, slamming a fist through the air for emphasis. "I finally have a chance to beat Sonic at his own game, especially with knucklehead and fox-boy out of the ga-"  
  
"SILENCE!!!" Shadow roared, slicing a hand through the air. Red and blue flames suddenly erupted out of the darkness, coming inches from the invisible floor so Eggman could feel the heat through his shoes. Gray clouds shimmered over the "ceiling", and thunder cracked down threateningly. As this happened, Shadow glowed with an almost mystical aura, like the tempest of the storm. "You won't succeed!" He spat, like a curse.  
  
Through the fangs, Robotnik could see a huge anaconda slither. It rose through the flames, seemingly climbing them. It stopped, reared open it's head to reveal long fangs, and struck.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"AHHHHH!" Robotnik awoke, screaming. His room felt like an oven! Sweat plastered his nightgown to his body, and his sheets were all rolled around him. He looked to see three of the robot guards looking in the room. "GET OUT!" He roared, and they (literally) fell over each other to get away.  
  
Sighing, the doctor remade the bed, picked up Shmee, and lay back down. As he closed his eyes, he wished for a quick, dreamless sleep.  
  
A vision of Shadow, on a backdrop of flames, struck him as he closed his eyes.  
  
Nope. No sleep for Eggman tonight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ok, so I'm terrible at making fight scenes! It was supposed to be a quick victory for Metal Knuckles. Oh, and if you review, tell me how I did on the Shadow Dream sequence. I need to know, as that won't be the last one.  
  
More good news! Spike, my fourth Chao, evolved into a Normal Dark, even though he's anything BUT normal ~_^  
  
More chapters on the way! And all Tails lovers: Don't HURT ME! I know a friend of mine who loves Tails is going to kill me when she reads this…! 


	5. New Powers

A/N: I was right: My Tails-loving friend DID almost kill me. Oh well, I live to write again! It took me forever to decide how to do the next "dream sequence", as I had to go from scary to nice. I hope it worked… I am trying SO hard to keep Shadow in character: Its one thing to get a regular character out of character, but a deceased character is quite another.  
  
Special thanks to the sudden rush of reviews I've gotten! To answer some questions:  
  
-This is my first story  
  
-I chose Metal Knuckles because most other enemies have been used quite often (Namely Metal Sonic)  
  
-Yes, I am very proud of my Chao! I was planning on breeding Dash and Spike once they evolved, but I didn't have the heart to see them leave  
  
-Lots of people say I have a big vocabulary. It's useful for confusing simple-minded people  
  
-Everyone (in my stories) refers to it as an incident because that's all they think it was: They have no clue they came within five minutes of being crushed, and they try not to think that a hedgehog they had all revered sacrificed himself for them.  
  
Ok, enough talk!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter Five: New Powers  
  
Two Days Later…  
  
A hot wind dashed across the desert. Twilight was setting in, casting large shadows among the pyramids. Stars peered out early, not offering much light under the purple sky. Around the largest of the pyramids, many guard bots worked guard-duty. They stood starkly against the backdrop of the desert, and would shoot any animals that move in fear of the infamous Sonic getting past.  
  
In the shadows of one of the many pillars, government spy Rouge the Bat knelt, taking notes. She had being doing this the last two days: Sonic (The self-proclaimed leader) was getting everyone ready to rush into Eggman's base, and Rouge was sent to figure out any information she could. She furiously scribbled notes on her pad as the over-talkative robots practically gave her all the information she needed.  
  
Just as she began to rub a cramp in her hand, a pair on their coffee break leaned up against the other side of the pillar. Rouge tensed; but none seemed to notice her. "So…" One began, staring off into space. "Mmmyep…" The other replied. Rouge snickered: She'd be surprised if they had a first- grade vocabulary!  
  
Suddenly, a larger robot, probably the highest ranking, marched over to them. Sand flew in his wake, and the two coward at his presence. "Get back to your post!" He roared, his voice sharply metallic, like two cheese grinders against each other. Rouge had to drop her notebook and cover her over-sensitive ears. "The boss said if anyone gets to the Project Shadow 2, he'd have our heads!" With that, he turned and marched, with the other two scurrying off to their posts.  
  
Instantly, Rouge snatched up her notebook. This would be enough for a whole night worth of spying! She climbed a few feet up the pillar, then leap and glided over the desert, the sun finally sinking below the horizon.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Project Shadow 2?" Sonic asked in disbelief, dropping the bag of potato chips he had been easy munching on. He had spent all day "breaking in" the new maid. He looked down at Rouge's notes, then up at Tails. "Five bucks says that's why he needs the Chaos Emeralds."  
  
Tails had recovered well from his injuries. Besides minor scrapes and bruises, he had pretty much come out unscathed, since Sonic, Rouge and Amy had come in during the fight. "Actually," He said, looking at a screen on his laptop. "If he was trying to recreate Shadow, he could easily make one with all of Shadows abilities but without needing the Chaos Emeralds." He sighed, rubbed his temples with his fingers and leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed. "Who knows what he needs the Chaos Emeralds for?"  
  
Sonic leapt up, brushing potato chip crumbs off his chest. "We'd better leave tomorrow." He announced. Tails' eyes snapped open in surprise, and Rouge but her lip nervously. "Me, Rouge and Tails'll go. Amy, we need you to stay here and hold down the fort." He said, looking back at her.  
  
Sighing, Amy leaned back in her chair. She really wanted to go! She hated being the little lamb, always being left behind, never helping at all. Now, when they needed any help they could get they were asking her to say at Rouge's? "Whatever you say." She muttered, looking down.  
  
Sensing how bad Amy felt, Rouge walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate it. I need someone to keep an eye on the workers anyway." She said, winking. Amy smiled weakly, but still felt bad.  
  
Of course, Sonic didn't realize how bad Amy felt. "We'd all better get some sleep." He said, closing the potato chip bag. Tomorrow morning we'll head out!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Since Rouge's house had so many guest rooms, it had become their "fortress", as Sonic jokingly called it. Everyone spent all their time their, preparing for the battle. And, since she had guest rooms for everyone (and enough to spare), they all had their own, fairly sized guest room.  
  
It was eleven o' clock at night, and the only sound came from the garage. Tails, unable to sleep, was doing repairs on the Cyclone. (A/N: From what I know, it's called Tornado in airplane mode and Cyclone in battle mode) He wouldn't be able to take it to the desert, as there was the ever-present danger of quicksand. Everyone would be going on foot or, in Rouge's case, on wing.  
  
As he was finishing up, adding an extra layer of polish on it, he was thinking about Angel Island. Surprisingly, no reports of the island beginning to fall had come, even though Eggman had the Master Emerald. Tails could only guess the island charged itself with the Master Emerald, like a battery. They only had about a week or two, tops, before it began to fall.  
  
Thinking of this got Tails thinking about Knuckles. Everyone had presumed Eggman had him, as Knuckles would've never lied low in a case like this. And everyone knew that roboticization came to almost all of Eggman's prisoners. The only hope they had was that Eggman had to keep Knuckles around for interrogation.  
  
Sighing, Tails finished the waxing and put his tools away. "I can tell something's going to go wrong." He muttered, making his way up to his room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
One other person was having trouble sleeping. Amy lay awake in her bed, her Piko Hammer within easy reach. Her mind was racing: She had to find a way to make herself useful! If she could, maybe she wouldn't be left behind.  
  
Carefully, she gripped her red Chaos Emerald to her chest. She could remember how Chaos Control, originally thought to be of use only to Shadow, had also been used by Sonic. Did that mean anyone could use it? The emerald gave off a soft pink light as she thought. Could anyone use it? "I just want to help…" She murmured, falling into an uneasy sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Amy awakened, or thought she awakened, in the Green Forest. She stood right in a hole cut through a tree: Her favorite spot. Tentatively, she stepped outside and leaned against the bark. Inhaling deeply, she breathed in the scents of fresh grass and wild flowers.  
  
"Nice little place." Quickly, Amy took a few steps forward, turned, and looked up. On one of the lowest branches, Shadow sat, leaning against the tree trunk. He smiled as a look of surprise crossed her face. "Surprised?"  
  
Amy placed a fist on her hip. "Well, I've met an evil look-alike of my crush, been held hostage by an evil doctor and almost been inside a space colony that slammed into the Earth. It'll take more than a dead person appearing in my dreams to surprise me now." She said, smirking.  
  
Shadow sighed, and looked up. After a few moments silence, Amy spoke up. "Why'd you choose the forest? Can you read minds or something?"  
  
"Maybe." He said, smirking this time. "Well, it was either someplace nice, like here, or Hell. The world serpent gave Eggman a little scare, so I chose here." He eyes Amy, watching for her reaction.  
  
Smiling, Amy said, "Hell? You're kidding, right?" When Shadow didn't give an answer, she guessed he was telling the truth.  
  
After more silence, Shadow this time broke the silence. "I came to help. You said you wanted a way to help, I figure I'd give you something the 'blue boy-scout' and I have had for awhile."  
  
It took awhile for this to dawn on her. "Chaos Control?!" She said in surprise, stepping back. "Oh no! I'm not taking that! It's too-"  
  
"Powerful?" Shadow finished for her. She bowed her head, realizing how silly that sounded. "I know. Power is a scary thing. But, in a case like this, it may be the only thing that can balance the scales." With that, he jumped down, landing a few feet before Amy. "It's easy. Just imagine the most powerful feeling you have, and then concentrate on where you want to be. It couldn't be simpler." He shrugged.  
  
Amy looked down to the ground. Yeah, it WAS easy. But still… could she really handle all that power? "What'd you think of?" She asked, looking him in the eye.  
  
She expected him to flinch, or back down, or go to his usual stoical mood. But, instead, he returned the gaze. "Maria." He answered simply. "And, as for the blue boy-scout, probably some of that 'save-the-world' crud." He answered, waving his hand.  
  
Amy giggled, and Shadow smiled. Suddenly, his eyes sprang open. "Amy, I've gotta go!" He said quickly, walking backwards.  
  
Amy was about to protest, but then the world went black.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Amy!" Sonic said, shaking her hard. She opened her eyes slowly, groggily. It took her a few moments to realize she was looking at Sonic, not Shadow. "You were talking in your sleep. Hey, are you okay?"  
  
Tired, Amy sat up and rubbed the heel of her palm in her eyes. "Yeah…" She muttered, yawning. "What was I saying?" She asked, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"Oh, you were saying," At this point, Sonic stood from his kneeling position and got into a 'girl-ish' pose. He continued in a high-pitched tone. "Shadow, no! Wait! Don't go!" At this, he regained his normal composure. "Wait… What were you dreaming about, anyways?" He asked with a smirk, which earned him a hit in the shin from Amy's Piko Hammer.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ok, lets go over this one more time." Sonic said, much to Rouge and Tails' disgust. It was about two hours later, and this was the third time they were going over this one more time. "We go into Eggman's base. We somehow find Knuckles, or find out about him. We figure out more about this Project Shadow 2, then sabotage it." He stopped and thought. "Ok, you can start praying for a miracle now."  
  
Rouge turned to Amy, who stood in the doorframe. Everyone else was waiting out in the front lawn, ready to go. After going through the seventh overview of what they were to do (in which Tails finally snapped and yelled at Sonic), the two boys sped off, one after another.  
  
Rouge turned back to Amy. "I told all the workers Ill be gone and they're to stay in the house. So, they'll all be out of town. Think you can handle it?" Amy nodded meekly, and quickly went inside to get herself comfortable. She didn't want to watch the last of them leave.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Yes yes, short chapter! I promise the next one'll be longer. Please oh mighty reviewers, I beg of thee, review my story!  
  
Oh. And, like Tails, I'm trying to work Amy away from her image of Sonic's fan-girl. Most stories only give her that role, little more. Amy will be making a big impact on this story! 


	6. Break-In

A/N: I've been waiting to do this chapter for a while! A lot of stuff is planned to happen here. Amy fans will love this chapter, for what reason I don't know... You just will!  
  
I'm watching The Weakest Link right now. …Yeah.  
  
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Chapter Six: Break-In  
  
Inside Rouge's mansion, Amy paces restlessly. She had been up all day and all night yesterday, scared to death for her friends. Of course, it didn't help she had drunk three cups of cappuccino, but it didn't help to calm her down. The few times she did try to call Sonic on his cell phone, he had had it turn off.  
  
"That's it!" Amy yelled angrily into the empty house. "I'm sick of always being scared," At this, she grabbed her Piko Hammer in her left hand and swung it over her shoulder. "I'm sick of always being left behind," She grabbed the red Chaos Emerald in her right hand, and felt a flood of power from it. "Whether they like it or not, I'm helping!" She raised the red emerald above her head, and said two very fateful words.  
  
"CHAOS CONTROL!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Right inside the main entrance to the pyramid base was Eggman's garage of sorts. Various defect and prototype robots lined the wall, as well as tools that resembled weapons of mass destruction. In other words: Tails was in genius mechanic heaven!  
  
On the way to the pyramid base, Sonic had decided to have the three split up, much to Rouge's opposition. As she put it, "In the horror movies, it's always the one who suggests they split up that dies first." Despite this, Sonic went on to find out more about Project Shadow 2. Tails was to try and find a way to shut down the base, and Rouge went to find Knuckles.  
  
As Tails eyed the various machines, his eyes fell on the gold mine. The one machine that rivaled the Cyclone in power: The Egg Walker. "Built with a hybrid gasoline and electric engine, as to never run out of power in a fight…" He murmured, running a hand along the smooth side.  
  
Finally, unable to quell his overpowering curiosity, he spun his two tails, hovered above the cockpit, and landed. As soon as he hit the seat, four beeps went off. Instantly, the seat propelled forward, adjusting to its pilots short height.  
  
The controls were remarkably similar to those of the Cyclone. Two joysticks were right within reach: The left to change which direction the top of the Egg Walker faced, the right moving its legs. On the top of the right joystick was a button, which, presumably, fired the Vulcan Cannon. At the top of the dashboard were various buttons, which performed different objectives: Hovering, lock-on laser, radio, windshield wipers, self- destruct, etc.  
  
Curiously, there was a large blue button in the upper right hand corner of the dashboard. Silently, Tails speculated what it was. This was a battle mech, and seemed to already have all it needed. What else was necessary? Slowly, he reached up and pushed it.  
  
As soon as the button was pushed down, the machine lurched forward, throwing Tails to the cement ground. With speed unrivaled, it ran from the garage, firing the Vulcan Cannon randomly at various objects. "Auto-pilot." He muttered, laying his sore head back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Quickly, Knuckles snapped out of his uneasy sleep. One of the workers, the same one that had come every day, was back to give him his bread and water. His head hurt from malnutrition, and his stomach was cramping from having so little food. He was beginning to wish they would just let him starve to death.  
  
The worker would also work on interrogating him for information. At first, he would try to exchange little things, like hot soup (which, right now, Knuckles would kill for) for information. Lately, the food had escalated to greater taste. He took a sniff of air. Today's bargaining food: Steak. How pathetic.  
  
The worker stepped inside tentatively, as though Knuckles could attack him. His wrists had been bound with taut rope. He had almost worked through it, but his wrists were bleeding, and he'd have to wait for them to heal until he could try again.  
  
Nervously, and visibly shaking, the worker bent down and slid the food across the floor. The way Knuckles was bound, he would have to bend down on his knees, like a dog, to eat. He never did that in front of anyone, no matter how hungry. He would never give them the satisfaction.  
  
Suddenly, a bright red flash went off. The worker shielded his eyes, and Knuckles would have done the same if his hands weren't bound. The blinding light mercifully lasted only a second before dimming. In its place, in the dank cell corner, stood the all-too familiar form of Amy Rose. In her left hand she held the Piko Hammer, and in the right the Chaos Emerald. "Amy?!" Knuckles said aloud in disbelief.  
  
Instead of doing the sensical thing, such as NOT attacking an armed opponent who mysteriously appears in thin air, the worker dashed at Amy. He bared his teeth, his eyes gleaming as sharp as the Chaos Emeralds glow. At seeing this, Amy shrieked, and threw her Piko Hammer up in defense (as in a blocking position).  
  
Whether Amy had meant to attack him, or for once luck was one their side, the face of the hammer hit the worker in the snout. He was knocked back against the cage bars, dazing him. "Are you all right?" Amy said, quickly walking over to him. She winced at the sight of his bloody, swollen wrists.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Knuckles said quickly, eyeing the worker. He was beginning to get back up. "Quick, get these off!" He ordered, pulling feebly at the ropes. Hearing the tension in his voice, Amy began to pull at the rope. After a few meek attempts, she heard the worker begin to pull himself up. In a sudden rush of inspiration, Amy pulled up both his hands and, after hesitation, bit cleanly through the rope.  
  
In a second, Knuckles was up. He quickly shrugged off the ropes, and dashed at the opponent. Raising his right fist in the air, he angrily yelled, "Nobody takes my emerald and gets away with it!" In one quick movement, he brought his fist down and nearly through the workers head.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nervously, Rouge walked down the hall. How could that idiot split them apart? "Well, if he dies," She said decisively, crossing her arms. "It won't be my fault!" With that, she walked down the hallway, entertaining herself with memories of the last time she was here.  
  
Ah. How fun it had seemed! Finally getting a chance to do an actual mission instead of paperwork! She had no clue what she was getting involved in. It had seemed like a simple mission: Get information on Project Shadow and, if possible, stop it. She had no idea about the Chaos Emeralds, Gerald, Maria, or the Biolizard. How innoce-  
  
Quickly, Rouge sapped out of her daydream. She heard the sounds of metal-on- metal, an almost sure sound of an oncoming fight. Quickly, she turned and dropped into a fighter stance.  
  
And was instantly knocked off her feet by an uppercut from Metal Knuckles.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry to leave you at a cliffhanger! If possible, tell me how I'm doing at developing Tails and Amy's character. This seems to be one of the main points of my story. And, as always, please review! 


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